Best Fitbit trackers and smartwatches (November 2018)

Fitbit, currently one of the most well-known names in the fitness tracking world, has seven different trackers on sale right now. Which of them is the best Fitbit device for you? Should you pick up one of the new fashion-forward devices like the Alta HR or Charge 3, or should you consider a smartwatch device like the Versa or Ionic?

With devices ranging anywhere from $60-$300, there’s certainly a wide range of options from which to choose. So with that said, read on to find out which one is the best Fitbit device.

UpdatesNovember 16, 2018

This month we added the Fitbit Charge 3 and removed the Fitbit Charge 2.

The best Fitbit smartwatch

Fitbit Versa

If you were underwhelmed by Fitbit’s first smartwatch offering, the Versa might be just the thing for you.

The Fitbit Versa is much better looking and more compact than the Ionic, and it doesn’t cost as much money. Now, that lower price tag will get you fewer features (no GPS, for instance), but that’s the whole point of this smartwatch — the Versa is a smartwatch for everyone.

The Versa also brings Fitbit OS 2.0, 24/7 heart rate tracking, on-screen workouts with Fitbit Coach, over 15 exercise modes, Connected GPS, and swim tracking thanks to its 5ATM rating. There’s also room to store your music, and if you spring for the Special Edition model you’ll have access to Fitbit Pay. It’s not as powerful than the Ionic due to the lack of a built-in GPS, but we think the design of the watch puts it ahead of the pack.

Fitbit Ionic

This is the best Fitbit you can buy if you need something with a GPS. It’s an incredible fitness and sleep tracker, comes with a built-in GPS, allows you to pay for things from your wrist, and it’s water resistant. If you don’t care about smartwatch features and are looking for a high-end Fitbit device, buy the Ionic.

Best Fitbit fitness trackers

Fitbit Charge 3

Fitbit’s Charge 3 is the best fitness tracker you can buy for under $150. Its classy, versatile design means it’ll look good in the office and at the gym. It’s also water resistant this time around, and has one of the more accurate wrist-based heart rate sensors we’ve tried on a wearable.

Fitbit Alta HR

2016’s Fitbit Alta has been one of our favorite fitness trackers since launch, mainly due to the sleek, stylish design that many other Fitbit devices lack. But what if you’re looking for a device similar to the Alta, but can’t go without a heart rate sensor? You’ll want to check out the Fitbit Alta HR, the company’s slimmest activity tracker with a heart rate monitor.

Alongside the Alta HR, Fitbit also introduced two new sleeping features, Sleep Stages and Sleep Insights. Sleep Stages utilizes the heart rate sensor to estimate the amount of time you spend in light, deep and REM sleep, as well as the time you spend awake each night. Sleep Insights, on the other hand, uses all the data your Fitbit collects to provide personalized guidance on how to better improve your sleep. If you’re interested in learning more about Sleep Stages and Sleep Insights, more details can be found here.

If you need a slim fitness tracker and Fitbit device that doesn’t skimp on the features, the Alta HR is for you.

Best budget Fitbit tracker

Fitbit Flex 2

The Fitbit Flex 2 is a well-designed fitness tracker with a lot of neat features that serves as an introduction to Fitbit’s excellent software and ecosystem. It’s a small, convenient device that can take on any look to match your style and will easily survive a dip in the pool. While it might lack advanced features, it is nevertheless smarter than you might expect thanks to the highly capable app and brilliant activity auto-detection.

This Fitbit device isn’t perfect, though. Serious gym rats will be disappointed at the lack of tracking for strength workouts, battery life could be longer and the notifications are somewhat pointless in most situations.

But if you like the svelte and versatile design and you’re just looking for something that will reliably track your steps and activity, then you might not need those extra features anyway. And in that case, the Fitbit Flex 2 is probably one of the best basic trackers available.

Best Fitbit for kids

Fitbit Ace

Child obesity is on the rise, and Fitbit wants to do something about it. That’s why it launched the new Fitbit Ace fitness tracker for kids.

On the surface, you may think this is a repackaged Fitbit Alta HR — and you’d be correct. But the Ace features an all-new feature set designed specifically for kids ages eight and up. This device can keep track of your children’s steps taken, active minutes, and sleep stats, and you can even customize daily step and active minute goals. The Ace features move reminders to help them remember to move if they’ve been sitting too long. Kids will receive celebratory messages and collectible badges if they achieve their goals.

Fitbit also introduced a new Fitbit family account alongside the Ace. This allows parents to keep a closer eye on their children’s activity, progress, and friend requests in the Fitbit app. There’s also a new child view setting, which limits what data your child sees in the app.

So there you have it — our guide to the best Fitbit devices! Are we missing something? Have you tried a Fitbit device in the past? If so, what are your experiences? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!